Abstract :
To determine the characteristic presenting symptoms, otoscopic findings,audiological profiles and the intraoperative findings of children with chronic otitismedia with effusion who required surgical intervention. A prospective crosssectional study was undertaken in the otorhinolaryngology clinic of USM Hospital(HUSM) involving 25 cases (50 ears) of children with chronic otitis media witheffusion requiring surgical intervention from June 1999 to September 2001. Theirages ranged from 3 to 12 years old. The gender distribution included males at 72% and females at 28 %. The presenting symptoms noted were hearing impairment(52%), otalgia (18%), ear block (16%) and tinnitus (14%). The otoscopic findingswere fluid in the middle ear (40%), dullness (32%) and retraction of the tympanicmembrane (28%). On audiometry, 24 ears had moderate deafness (48%), 16 earshad mild deafness (32%) while 4 ears had severe deafness (8%). Withtympanometry, 42 ears out of the total 50 had a flat type B curve (84%) while 6ears had type As curve (12%). During myringotomy, middle ear secretion wasseen in 38 ears (76%) out of the 50 ears; 22 ears had mucoid secretion while 16ears had serous secretion. Clinically, the commonest presenting symptom washearing impairment (52%) while the most common otoscopic finding was fluid inthe middle ear (40%). Audiologically, most patients had moderate conductivehearing loss (48%) and a type B curve (84%) on tympanometry. On myringotomymiddle ear fluid was found in 76 % of the ears.
